Beautifully renovated colonial home in Merida by New York architectural firm ode. The home is conveniently located close to "El Centro" and the Escuela Superior de Artes (Art College) located in the city's former train station.

Inspired by renowned Mexican architect Luis Barragan the owner commissioned ode to design a comfortable yet indestructible home with an open floor plan. Something simple which would draw inspiration from the natural beauty of the city and its people while retaining a certain simplicity and fluidity.

The result was amazing ... from the front entrance to the casita (small house) located in the rear of the property. Ode was able to take the original house aptly titled - Mexican Colonial Meets the 1950's - and turn it into a flowing, light filled, romantic home.

The clean but graceful furniture found throughout the home was also designed by ode. Each unique piece being constructed of local materials and built by Mexican craftsmen to accentuate not only the beauty of the home but its natural surroundings.

Surprisingly, and without much pressure, ode found ways to "reuse" the old colonial's 1950's updates. The front gates and doors from the front of the house were simply modified and utilized in other areas of the home. Original colonial doors and shutters from the house became part of the new design. Anything that could be simplified and reused was standard order bringing new life to many original and updated elements. In finding ways to "build it green" ode also discovered this is very much in keeping with Mexico and its people ... the ability to recycle and reuse the existing.

pamela lobdell

Area Information

No need for a car, the bus to the to the Zocalo (Plaza Grande) stops on the corner next to the house. In less than 5 minutes you are within walking distance of all downtown Merida has to offer ... Olimpo Cultural, Lucia Park, the University, Palacio Municipal, Museums, the Mercado, Santiago Park, Paseo de Montejo to name a few. Possible daytrips include Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Progresso and Izamal. Yucatan Today offers a good free tourist guide with complete details on downtown Merida activities and attractions as well as convenient daytrips.

About the owner

Love to renovate ! ! When renovating / redesigning a space I strive for a sort of fluid openness which incorporates most elements of the basic structure but at the same time somehow simplifies the space. Strive to "repurpose" whenever possible. I continually look for ways to "work with what I have" ...

Great place for 4 people in Merida

March 27, 2012

Our family of 7 stayed in this house in Merida. The location was quite convenient (VERY close to bus stop & taxis readily available). The outside did not look very appealing, but the inside was nicely and simply decorated and unique.
The house had everything you'd need...fridge with plenty of pots/pans/cups/utensils...even for a big crowd like ours...and a gas cooktop, coffee maker, toaster, etc. And everyone loved the pool to cool off after a hot day.
The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that the front bedroom (and the rest of the front part of the property) is not air conditioned and the bed in that part doesn't have a mosquito net. It got very warm in that part of the house in the afternoon/evening, like the walls were radiating heat. The kitchen was also warm for preparing meals, but we did retreat to the room at the back of the property with the air conditioning. During the hot months, I would recommend parties of 4 people max so you can sleep in air conditioning. But other than that, we loved being in Merida close to everything. And there's a great little walk up place to eat about a block away that makes AMAZING food for cheap. There's also a good, honest laundry place (lavanderia) right next door. Bring in clothes in the morning and they're washed, dried and folded by the evening.
If you're looking for a less touristy place to spend the night in Merida, but still be close to the city in a safe area, this is a great place. Oh, and be on the lookout for the guys that ride around with baked goods. They're delicious!

Relaxing Stay in Merida

Lydia Duran

Corona, CA, USA

Relaxing Stay in Merida

November 30, 2011

Our stay at this colonial home was very comfortable and relaxing. Home is simple yet contemporary in a 1950 setting. I loved the feeling of living in a colonial with such amenities. The pool was wonderfully refreshing. Casita at the back of home offered air conditioning which was highly needed. Bus is exactly located on the corner and only costs about 10 cents to ride into the main square. The neighborhood folks are extremely nice and very helpful. All in all, we loved the home. Would loved to have stayed for a much longer stay.

Owner Supplied Testimonials

We rented Colonial Home for one month in February 2010. We were inspired by the Luis Barragan-style architecture and the adventure of visiting a city of which we had little knowledge. The house, with its spacious living quarters (even an office for us to conduct business with stable WiFi), refreshing pool and lush plantings along with the exciting cultural destinations of Merida and the Yucatan peninsula persuaded us to extend our stay an additional three weeks. The house managers, Ivonne and David, were always available to assist us with any house issues and made our stay as comfortable as possible. We can highly recommend Colonial Home and would gladly return. - James and Lori